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Ben Fund, Swindon March 8


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And finally as others have said Well Done to Ben Barker who has ridden every single Ben Fund meeting, surely there should be some sort of special award for the lad.

 

I believe he was given an award yesterday. His 100% record was certainly mentioned a number of times on the PA and so it should be

 

Terrific record

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People cutting their noses off to spite their face springs to mind.

 

It's a benefit meeting, a fund raiser for the cause of seriously injured speedway riders, it's not a GP!

 

It is a shame that the meeting doesn't attract more big names, but that doesn't detract from why the meeting is held. Didn't detract from the entertainment and good racing either. The line up was irrelevant for me, it was close enough for me to travel too, it's been a while since I've been to a speedway meeting so what better cause to support and get a early season fix than the Ben Fund meeting!

 

Hope the people who didn't go because of the line up but have pledged a donation to the fund keep their word - seeing the likes of Steady, Lol Hare, Joe Owen out on the parade with the riders pretty much summed up why it's so important that people continue to support this meeting/fund

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Thought it was all about supporting the cause.

My sentiments exactly,

It seems the only people moaning about the line up were the people who didn't go, what riders did you expect when most GP riders don't want to even ride in the "Elite league", it says something when England's no 1 rider doesn't even want to, so these riders aren't gonna be interested, there were in fact 8 Elite riders on show which would have been 10 if Lawson and Zengota hadn't pulled out and i believe the organisers and riders put on a damn good meeting considering what they were up against, this slating of the line up by a few people shows a total disrespect to the riders who gave up their time and provided entertainment to further a very worthy cause, my rant is over.

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My sentiments exactly,

It seems the only people moaning about the line up were the people who didn't go, what riders did you expect when most GP riders don't want to even ride in the "Elite league", it says something when England's no 1 rider doesn't even want to, so these riders aren't gonna be interested, there were in fact 8 Elite riders on show which would have been 10 if Lawson and Zengota hadn't pulled out and i believe the organisers and riders put on a damn good meeting considering what they were up against, this slating of the line up by a few people shows a total disrespect to the riders who gave up their time and provided entertainment to further a very worthy cause, my rant is over.

Totally agree. Also many thanks should go to Neil Vatcher for arranging the British Youth Riders races and getting them included by the organisers of the meeting. They were a joy to watch and the inclusion of them in any other meeting or second half would be a bonus to any meeting

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I think a lot of riders turn it down as they are still waiting on there racesuits. In previous years this wasn't a problem as they could wear last year's suit but this year's change in rules means that quite a few didn't have a legal race suit to use

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Interesting article in the SStar this week related to the Ben Fund and the decline in the revenue it gets from the Bonanza meeting and compares to its expenditure. Its a real shame that such a fantastic idea is seemingly withering

 

But there are issues apart from the rider line up. For example, as the trustees of the Support Oxford Speedway group which raised money for around 12 years (we stopped a few years ago) we have consistently supported the meeting having sponsored at 6 of the 7 occassions. In most cases we have then sold on our admission tickets and the fund has benefited further.

 

This year the sponsorship deal on offer was significantly improved and for £250 we had 4 admissions, a meal in the restaurant and an advert in the programme. What was really noticeable was the lack of sponsors in the sponsors area. We actually paid an additional cost to get an extra person in. There were lots of BSPA officials but seemingly very few companies, groups etc who were putting a few quid in as sponsors.

 

The meal was very good, the meeting was very good but nothing in the programme, no mention at any point of the fact that our group had sponsored and other than a quick 'do you want to watch a race from the centre green' did anyone at any point ask us if we were OK, thank us for our sponsorship, explain why there was nothing in the programme. It was the first time I had attended the meeting as it was close to home this time

 

So I guess we left a bit miffed. Now of course we are a speedway support group and we are about supporting speedway but were we a commercial enterprise who had decided to sponsor the meeting it may have been the last the Ben Fund saw of us and that has to be a major issue. For us as a group we will of course sponsor next year but while I am really loathed to criticise such a magnificent fund raising event there are things that need to be addressed around the commercial aspects of the event.

 

Just a view, and maybe one that deflects from the criticism of the riders for a bit. We should all be back on that one soon though because the SStar article puts the different shape of the line up over the years very well

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My sentiments exactly,

It seems the only people moaning about the line up were the people who didn't go, what riders did you expect when most GP riders don't want to even ride in the "Elite league", it says something when England's no 1 rider doesn't even want to, so these riders aren't gonna be interested, there were in fact 8 Elite riders on show which would have been 10 if Lawson and Zengota hadn't pulled out and i believe the organisers and riders put on a damn good meeting considering what they were up against, this slating of the line up by a few people shows a total disrespect to the riders who gave up their time and provided entertainment to further a very worthy cause, my rant is over.

Unfortunately the person who is "moaning" most loudly is someone who was there 'the event organiser' Paul Ackroyd !

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Unfortunately the person who is "moaning" most loudly is someone who was there 'the event organiser' Paul Ackroyd !

Is that supposed to be a criticism, or a piss take. The guy is in charge of a very good cause, but the recipients seem to have issues to appear in the event that raises money for them to draw on when injured. If it was me, I would be pissed off, and say so, if the riders did not give me full support in those circumstances.

Unfortunately, anybody in speedway that contributes, or does something, usually gets criticism regardless and usually from folks who do nowt for the sport. WHY.

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Is that supposed to be a criticism, or a piss take. The guy is in charge of a very good cause, but the recipients seem to have issues to appear in the event that raises money for them to draw on when injured. If it was me, I would be pissed off, and say so, if the riders did not give me full support in those circumstances.

Unfortunately, anybody in speedway that contributes, or does something, usually gets criticism regardless and usually from folks who do nowt for the sport. WHY.

Your quote was "it seems the only people moaning about the line up were the people who didn't go"

Reading Paul Ackroyd's comments in the Star that's not true

Don't shoot the messenger !

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Is that supposed to be a criticism, or a piss take. The guy is in charge of a very good cause, but the recipients seem to have issues to appear in the event that raises money for them to draw on when injured. If it was me, I would be pissed off, and say so, if the riders did not give me full support in those circumstances.

Unfortunately, anybody in speedway that contributes, or does something, usually gets criticism regardless and usually from folks who do nowt for the sport.

Spot on

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Your quote was "it seems the only people moaning about the line up were the people who didn't go"

Reading Paul Ackroyd's comments in the Star that's not true

Don't shoot the messenger !

Perhaps you shouldn't shoot the 'doer'. Paul is perfectly entitled to be dismayed with the riders attitude,( no bike, no leathers, etc) when they are the biggest gainers of such events. Paul needs support and constructive ideas, or get the might of the non doers on the BSF to come with solutions for a change.

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Adam Roynon a man who probably uses the ben fund more than most, pulls out as he doesn't have stuff ready but had been praticing the majority of the week leading up to the meeting.

 

Now his first race of the year and he is in the back of a ambulance and away to hospital you honestly couldn't make it up.

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Adam Roynon a man who probably uses the ben fund more than most, pulls out as he doesn't have stuff ready but had been praticing the majority of the week leading up to the meeting.

 

Now his first race of the year and he is in the back of a ambulance and away to hospital you honestly couldn't make it up.

Already said he wont take from the fund tho so the snipe is stupid.

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